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Exporting and Importing Firearms

(last updated on 6/16/2015)

Exporting and Importing Firearms

This page discusses the procedures required to legally import firearms into the US and legally export firearms from the US.

Firearms laws vary greatly from country to country. GunBroker.com is not familiar with firearms laws outside of the United States. If you live outside of the United States and you wish to buy or sell items, please make sure that you understand and obey all firearms laws in your country and follow all of the proper import/export procedures.

Exporting Firearms from the US

Firearms must be exported from the United States via a licensed exporter located within the USA. Depending on the country you live in, there may be restrictions on the types of items that can be imported. For example, it is virtually impossible to send a handgun to Japan. You must contact the licensed exporter directly for further information regarding the export process.

The firearm exporters that we know of are listed below. You may be able to find others by using a web search engine like Google.

If you live outside the US and would like to bid on an item, please make export arrangements before placing a bid on an item. Once the arrangements are made and you bid on and win an item, the seller will be instructed to ship the item to the exporter. The exporter will then handle the process of getting the item shipped to you.

Importing Firearms into the US

If you live outside the US and wish to sell an item on GunBroker.com to a US resident, the item will need to be legally imported into the US. Any Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder can import a firearm for personal use or on behalf of an unlicensed person by filling out the proper paperwork. According to the ATF:

(L1) May a licensed dealer who does not have an importer's license make an occasional importation?

Yes. A licensee may make an occasional importation of a firearm for a nonlicensee or for the licensee's personal use (not for resale). The licensee must first submit a ATF Form 6, Part I to the Imports Branch for approval. The licensee may then present the approved Form 6 and completed ATF Form 6A to the U.S. Customs Service. Contact the Bureau of ATF, Imports Branch, Washington, DC 20226, (202) 927-8320 for forms.

There are a great many items that cannot be imported into the US. These include 'armor piercing' ammo, high-capacity magazines, and so-called 'assault weapons'. Please contact your FFL to make import arrangements and verify the legality of the item you are attempting to import before placing a bid on an item.

If the item is not a firearm (such as scopes, holsters, etc.) then the item can be sent into the US without any special importation procedure other than filling out a standard US Customs form.

If you are a seller located outside the US, please clearly state that the item resides outside the US and include a link to this page in your item listing. This will help prevent problems with your buyers.